Info about Lightmatter:

Official game description:
A Letter from Virgil, CEO, Lightmatter Technologies
===================================================
Dear Visitor,  
If you are reading this, you are quite fortunate.  
You have been personally invited to the world debut of Lightmatter—the greatest breakthrough in renewable energy since the sun was born. I know. You must barely be able to contain your excitement.  
This invitation includes a one hour tour through my facility, a ten second glance at the launch of Lightmatter, as well as five seconds of eye contact—with me. If that is not enough, bring your wallet. An investment will give you the full tour and prolong our time together. If you behave, I will even let you shake my hand.  
During the tour, you will witness mind bending technological wonders. They might force you to think in ways that are difficult for you. But don’t worry, you will come out a smarter human being. The only thing I ask of you before you enter my facility, is to embrace the future, open your mind, and your backpack. Yes, cameras, journals, and other useless items will be confiscated by James, my head of security. Don’t try to shake his hand, he might break yours.  
\- Virgil  
CEO, Lightmatter Technologies  
PS: During your visit, you might stumble into our cat, Lux. So if you experience skin rashes, headaches, or hair-loss keep in mind that you might be allergic to cats.
About the Game
==============
**An Homage to First Person Puzzlers**  
Play Tunnel Vision Games’ love-letter to the genre. Use lateral thinking to solve mind-bending puzzles with lights, shadows, beams, platforms, and lightmatter.  
**Starring David Bateson as Virgil**  
“Now that I'm thinking about photon power cells, let me test an idea on you. Have you ever wanted to stay awake forever?” Fan favorite, David Bateson leads as Virgil, CEO of Lightmatter Technologies  
**Virgil’s Vision For The Future**  
“Imagine at the center of a city, a CORE - providing sustainable and renewable energy to millions. That is the future we are striving for. '' What will you sacrifice today for a brighter tomorrow?  
**The “Aha” Moment**  
“If you are contemplating suicide, by all means - jump that gap with the lamp.” Lightmatter is a game of the floor is lava with deadly shadows and consequences. Examine your surroundings closely. Think smarter, not harder!

Release date: Jan 15, 2020

Categories: Puzzle Solving, First-Person Perspective, Platforming, Story-driven Gameplay, Atmospheric Horror (Light), Multiple Endings, Parkour Gameplay, Narrative-driven Gameplay

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 55; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience reveals significant stability issues, including frequent crashes and black screens. Additionally, there are notable problems with the user interface and controls, which can lead to confusion and require external research to resolve. Despite these issues, some users reported a positive experience, particularly when returning to the game after a long hiatus.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $10.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence indicates that the community generally finds the game overpriced at its full price due to its short length, typically around 3-4 hours of gameplay. Many reviews suggest waiting for a sale or discount, implying that a lower price point would be more appropriate. The repeated mentions of the game being worth it only when discounted support a fair price range significantly lower than the current base price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 4.0h
  - Story completion: 4.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides multiple direct references to the playtime for 'Lightmatter.' Several reviews mention the game taking around 3 to 4 hours to complete, which aligns with the typical total time to finish the game and the main story/campaign. One review mentions a playtime of 9 hours to complete both endings, indicating a longer session for full completion. There is no specific evidence provided for typical single-session length or post-story/endgame hours, so those fields are marked as null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game's fun increases as players progress and engage with the tapes and puzzles, despite some mechanics becoming tedious over time.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Introduction of tapes
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: Tedious mechanics; Repetitive tasks
  - Unlock drivers: Engaging puzzles; Steady progression
  - Conditions: Smooth progression; Highly satisfying problem-solving
- Player Archetypes:
  - Puzzle Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of challenging and well-designed puzzles.
    - Playstyle: Thoughtful and patient, enjoys exploring puzzle mechanics and appreciates a good narrative.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: puzzle lover; fan of Portal; fan of The Talos Principle
    - Reference games: Portal; Portal 2; The Talos Principle
  - Value-Conscious Puzzler (sale)
    - Motivation: Getting the best value for their money while enjoying puzzle games.
    - Playstyle: Strategic and economical, prefers to wait for sales to get the best deals.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: bargain hunter; sale shopper
    - Reference games: Portal; The Talos Principle
  - Casual Puzzle Solver (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of casual puzzle-solving and exploration without a heavy time commitment.
    - Playstyle: Relaxed and exploratory, enjoys shorter play sessions and accessible gameplay.
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: casual gamer; puzzle enthusiast
    - Reference games: Portal


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Puzzles are enjoyable and well-balanced (weight 0.45): The puzzles in the game are described as fun, challenging, and not too difficult. They offer a good mix of complexity and satisfaction, making them enjoyable for players.
- Positive overall game experience (weight 0.22): Players express a generally positive sentiment towards the game, describing it as brilliant, nice, good, and super cool. The game's excellence in graphics and level design is also highlighted.
- Engaging narration and storytelling (weight 0.22): The game features well-done narration with good acting, providing a strong story without pausing the action. The humor and storytelling are engaging and expertly executed.
- Unique and attractive visual style (weight 0.2): The game features a consistent and stylish visual style that is unique and fits the game's theme. The graphics are described as attractive and cool.
- High production quality (weight 0.2): The game is noted for its high-quality production values, including superb voice acting, excellent sound, and engaging music. The attention to detail in story, voice acting, game mechanics, and graphics is also highlighted.
- Thoughtful and creative level design (weight 0.17): The level design is praised for being solid, thoughtful, and clever. It offers unique and challenging levels with creative puzzle design.
- Fun and engaging concept (weight 0.15): The game's concept is described as fun, clever, and evolving. Each level is enjoyable and engaging, contributing to a genuinely fun experience.
- Interesting and thought-provoking story (weight 0.14): The story is noted for being great, interesting, and thought-provoking. It is familiar but well-made, contributing to an intriguing storyline.
- Good voice acting and writing (weight 0.1): The game is praised for its good and funny voice acting and writing. The voice acting is described as excellent and contributing to a great story.
- Well-implemented mechanics (weight 0.1): The game's mechanics are well implemented and entertaining. They are described as fantastic and contributing to a positive gameplay experience.
- Comfortable and impressive graphics (weight 0.1): The game features comfortable, beautiful, and impressive graphics. The visuals are pleasant and contribute to a good overall experience.
- Unique core mechanics (weight 0.1): The core mechanics involve using light and shadows to solve puzzles. The gameplay is simple but effective, offering a unique and engaging experience.
- Simple but effective design (weight 0.09): The game is visually simple but effective, with simple controls and a straightforward yet engaging story.

Common complaints:
- Puzzles lack challenge and variety (weight 0.4): Many players found the puzzles to be too easy and not particularly engaging. They often felt tedious and lacked complexity, especially towards the end of the game.
- Game is too short (weight 0.3): A common complaint is that the game is relatively short, with some players completing it in around 4-6 hours. This short length is often cited as a reason for the game not being worth its full price.
- Over-reliance on Portal references (weight 0.27): The game frequently references Portal, but these references are often seen as forced and not clever. Players found them cringe-worthy and unnecessary, detracting from the overall experience.
- Poor platforming sections (weight 0.2): The platforming sections, especially near the end of the game, are criticized for being poorly designed and requiring precise timing. These sections can be frustrating and difficult for some players.
- Game is not worth full price (weight 0.19): Several players feel that the game is overpriced at $20 due to its short length and lack of content. It is often recommended only if purchased at a discount.
- Narrator and voice acting issues (weight 0.13): The narrator and the director's voice acting are often found to be irritating and annoying. This can detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Lack of key rebinding (weight 0.11): Players are frustrated by the inability to rebind keys, which can make the game less accessible and more difficult to play comfortably.
- Abrupt and disappointing ending (weight 0.09): The ending of the game is criticized for feeling abrupt and disappointing. It leaves some questions unanswered and does not provide a satisfying conclusion.

Gameplay feedback:
- Puzzle-solving with light mechanics (weight 0.97): The game revolves around solving puzzles using light and shadow mechanics. Players need to manipulate light sources, avoid shadows, and use various devices to illuminate safe paths.
- Inspired by Portal series (weight 0.33): The game draws inspiration from the Portal series, with similar puzzle mechanics and references to Portal.
- Challenging and logical puzzles (weight 0.29): Puzzles in the game require logical thinking and careful observation. They ramp up in difficulty and are designed to be challenging yet enjoyable.
- Use of lamps and photon connectors (weight 0.15): The game introduces various devices such as lamps, photon cells, and photon connectors to solve puzzles.
- Platforming and parkour elements (weight 0.13): The game includes platforming segments and parkour elements, adding variety to the puzzle-solving gameplay.
- Atmospheric and story-driven (weight 0.11): The game features atmospheric and artistic design, with a focus on a story-driven experience.
- Timed puzzles and obstacles (weight 0.05): Some puzzles in the game are timed, requiring players to navigate obstacles within a certain time frame.
- Multiple endings (weight 0.05): The game features multiple endings, adding replayability and depth to the story.
- First-person puzzle experience (weight 0.05): The game is a first-person puzzle experience, immersing players in a unique puzzle-solving environment.
- Voice acting and sound design (weight 0.05): The game includes voice acting and sound design, enhancing the overall atmospheric experience.

Performance notes:
- Optimization and performance issues (weight 0.21): Players noted several optimization problems, including poor performance, FPS drops, and general instability. These issues affect the overall smoothness and enjoyment of the game.
- Frequent game crashes (weight 0.2): Multiple players reported experiencing crashes at various points in the game, including during gameplay and after completing levels.
- FPS cap and uncapping difficulties (weight 0.16): The game has a low FPS cap by default, and uncapping the FPS requires modifying game files. This has been a point of frustration for many players.
- Mixed performance reviews (weight 0.12): While some players reported excellent performance with no crashes or framedrops, others experienced significant performance issues, indicating inconsistent optimization.
- Camera framerate issues (weight 0.08): The camera updates at a low framerate (50 Hz/FPS), which has been identified as a critical design oversight affecting the gameplay experience.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for puzzle game fans (weight 0.34): The game is highly recommended for fans of puzzle games, particularly those who enjoy first-person puzzlers like Portal and The Talos Principle.
- Worth buying on sale (weight 0.29): Many reviewers suggest that the game is worth purchasing, especially if it is on sale or available at a discounted price.
- Positive overall recommendation (weight 0.12): The game receives general recommendations from players who enjoyed the experience and found it worthwhile.
- Try the demo first (weight 0.1): Several reviews recommend trying the demo or free version of the game before making a purchase.
- Specific audience recommendations (weight 0.06): The game is recommended for specific audiences, such as those who enjoy manipulating light, platforming, or speedrunning.
- Suggestions for improvement (weight 0.05): Players express a desire for a sequel with a higher budget and more challenging puzzles.

Other player notes:
- Dyslexia typeface included (weight 0.04): The game includes a typeface designed to be easier to read for players with dyslexia.
- Achievements are doable but missable (weight 0.03): While the game's achievements are generally achievable, some can be missed, which may affect completionists.
- Shift key for jumping (weight 0.03): Players are curious about using the Shift key for jumping in the game.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.29): Players appreciate the game's well-designed puzzles, engaging story, and unique mechanics. The humor, references to Portal, and high-quality visuals and voice acting also contribute significantly to the enjoyment.
- Frustration (weight 0.15): Performance issues, including crashes and framerate problems, are major sources of frustration. Additionally, difficult puzzles, lack of rebindable controls, and poorly communicated timed events contribute to player frustration.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.11): Players feel satisfied with the game's challenging puzzles, thoughtful level design, and overall quality. The unique gameplay mechanics, engaging story, and good value for money also contribute to this satisfaction.
- Disappointment (weight 0.1): The game's lack of originality, short length, and underwhelming ending lead to disappointment. Additionally, performance issues and the lack of challenging puzzles contribute to this feeling.
- Joy (weight 0.09): Players experience joy from the game's fun puzzles, great visual style, and humorous moments. The references to Portal and the overall engaging atmosphere also contribute to this emotion.
- Excited (weight 0.03): Players are excited about the game's quality and the potential for future projects or sequels from the developer. The enjoyment and ingenious puzzles also contribute to this excitement.
- Slight frustration (weight 0.02): Some players experience slight frustration due to clunky physics, optimization issues, and the voice acting of the director. Additionally, some feel the game is not worth the full price.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Players are excited about the game's quality, ingenious puzzles, and potential for a sequel. The overall enjoyment and potential of the game contribute to this excitement.
- Frustrated (weight 0.02): Players feel frustrated due to difficulty with specific levels, graphic performance issues, and an overly talkative narrator. These issues detract from the overall gaming experience.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Constant references to Portal and irritating comments from the narrator, particularly Virgil's comments, cause annoyance among players. These elements can detract from the enjoyment of the game.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Players appreciate the game's generous checkpoints, solid voice acting, and nice art style. The passion put into the game's development is also recognized and appreciated.
- Amusement (weight 0.02): Players are amused by the funny character reactions and the game's humorous insults. The game's ability to question the player's intelligence in a funny way also contributes to this amusement.
- Amused (weight 0.01): Moving platforms causing humorous situations and the funny narrator contribute to the amusement. These elements add a light-hearted touch to the gameplay.
- Disappointed (weight 0.01): Players feel disappointed due to the game's lack of originality and choppy performance. These issues detract from the overall gaming experience and leave players wanting more.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players are positively surprised by the game's strong story and unique mechanics. The game's quality exceeds expectations set by the trailer, leading to a pleasant surprise.
- Humiliated (weight 0.01): The narrator's comments during repeated failures can make players feel humiliated. This emotional response is tied to the game's feedback mechanism during challenging sections.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Payment and launcher issues cause anger among players. These technical problems can significantly disrupt the gaming experience and lead to frustration.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Players are enthusiastic about the game's smart and well-structured puzzles. The clever design and challenging nature of the puzzles contribute to this enthusiasm.
- Hopeful (weight 0.01): Players are hopeful for a sequel due to the game's quality and potential. The desire for more content and continued enjoyment drives this hope.
- Fear (weight 0.01): Players feel fear when the narrator yells at them, creating a startling and intense moment. This emotional response is tied to the game's audio and narrative design.}